Staff Survey Article (June 2010)

Getting the Most from Staff Surveys

For most employers the second largest expense after the salary roll is the investment in their employee benefits package. So how do they know if monies are being invested to have the best effect and whether the workforce value their benefits?

The creation of a benefits package that helps retain staff and keep employees motivated and happy is the ultimate aim but despite hours of argument as to what makes a successful benefits package, once a benefits scheme is in place, not every employer will measure whether it is achieving its aims.

In the recent Employee Benefits/Towers Watson Flexible Benefits Research 2010, 62% of respondents said they actively measured the success of their benefits scheme. A year earlier the figure was slightly higher at 64% despite the fact that the economic conditions were more stable.

It is important that whatever the economic climate, employers measure the success of their benefit schemes and importantly determine against what criteria the schemes should be measured. There are a number of statistics that can be used to determine the success of a benefits scheme and these include:

Benefits take up
Employee engagement
Absence levels
National insurance savings made through a salary sacrifice scheme

When undertaking a staff survey, the questions should provide opportunities for staff to make choices, for example extra holiday, or extra pension contributions. The questions should not be open ended, as the data will be difficult to collate and assess. The survey should not be longer than 20 minutes to ensure full participation. Another point of consideration is whether it should be anonymous or member specific.

Staff surveys are a good way to highlight where the investment in employee benefit schemes is justified and where it could be better utilised.

Please contact us to discuss how a focused and measured staff benefits survey can help your organisation.

Cartlidge Morland is an independent employee benefits consultancy. We provide benefit services to a wide range of partnerships, family companies, PLCs, charities and governmental organisations. We also provide financial advice to private clients, investment management and mortgage broking services

Phone us on 020 7709 5560 or complete the online contact form